The Regional District of Nanaimo has four Coast Salish First Nations artworks now on display inside its administration building and board chambers.
The art was commissioned by RDN. They were unveiled at ceremony held last Tuesday night led by RDN board chair Bill Veenhof.
The four artists and their creations are: Snuneymuxw First Nation artist Noel Brown who created Q’ul-lhanamucum i Stqeeye’ (killer whale and wolf panel); Snaw-Naw-As First Nation artist Brian Bob created Consumer Ling Cod; Qualicum First Nation artist Jessie Recalma carved a Heron Spindle Whorl; and Snuneymuxw First Nation artists James Johnny and James Johnny Jr. produced a metal art Killer Whale, Thunderbird and Salmon.
There is a fifth artwork by Snuneymuxw artist William Good that is yet to be completed and will be installed at a later date.
Veenhof said the artworks were an opportunity for the regional district to honour, respect and recognize Snuneymuxw, Snaw-Naw-As and Qualicum.
“In the future, sitting in that room and making decisions that affect all of us, affect the environment, affect the First Nations and affect other local communities, we need to be humble doing that,” said Veenhof. “We need to be reminded of where we are. And there’s no better way than with the fine work that we have that we will be reminded of where we are.”
Recalma was beaming with pride to see his masterpiece hanging in the walls of the RDN board chambers because he is still virtually new in the world of First Nations art.
“This is pretty big for me,” said Recalma. “I am still trying to process it all. I only started to do art four or five years ago and I didn’t go under any mentorships or anything. I just went on looking at some of my grandfather’s art and then figuring out that I have to develop my own style.”
The RDN set a budget of up to $30,000 for the artwork and launched an expression of interest and request for proposal process in 2017. Three members of the RDN board sat on the committee that oversaw the process.
